Arkansas Baby Names: Trends & Data (1910–2025)

Boys

Arkansas male baby naming trends reveal significant shifts. Liam topped the list in 2025 with 167 births, a clear departure from James, which dominated the 1950s. Over the last 30 years, William has shown the fastest ascent, rising 6 rank positions. Conversely, Christopher experienced the biggest decline, falling 12 rank positions. Such data illustrates dynamic naming preferences across generations in Arkansas.

Girls

Arkansas's female baby naming trends reveal dynamic shifts across generations. Charlotte is projected as the top name in 2025, accounting for 148 births. This marks a stark contrast to the 1950s, when Linda was the dominant choice. Examining three decades of data shows Madison as the fastest rising name, climbing 10 rank positions. Meanwhile, Ashley experienced the biggest decline, dropping 13 rank positions, reflecting changing parental preferences.

#1 Boy (2025)

Liam

#1 Girl (2025)

Charlotte

Fastest Rising

William

↑ +6

Biggest Decline

Christopher

↓ −12

Longest #1 Run

James

6 decades at #1

Total Births (2025)

6,201

births tracked

How the Most Popular Names Changed Over Time

Popularity by decade — lower ranks indicate greater popularity (#1 is the most popular name).

DecadeOliverJamesJoshuaElijahJacob
1910sRank #1
1920sRank #1
1930sRank #1
1940sRank #1
1950sRank #1
1960sRank #1
1970sRank #2
1980sRank #4Rank #2
1990sRank #6Rank #3Rank #4
2000sRank #6Rank #4Rank #1
2010sRank #5Rank #2Rank #6
2020sRank #2Rank #7Rank #4

Baby Names by Decade

Most popular · Runner-up per decade

1910sJamesWilliam
1920sJamesWilliam
1930sJamesCharles
1940sJamesCharles
1950sJamesRobert
1960sJamesMichael
Recent Decades
1970sMichaelJames
1980sChristopherJoshua
1990sChristopherMichael
2000sJacobWilliam
2010sWilliamElijah
2020sLiamOliver

Biggest Name Shifts

Names that climbed or fell the most in popularity

Fastest Rising

William

+6 rank positions · since 1980s
Biggest Decline

Christopher

-12 rank positions · since 1980s

How Arkansas Compares to the Nation

Names that rank notably higher or lower here vs. the U.S. overall

More Popular in Arkansas

  • Cohen
    #82 here · #224 nationally +142
  • Bentley
    #87 here · #214 nationally +127
  • Kingston
    #79 here · #204 nationally +125
  • Rhett
    #64 here · #188 nationally +124
  • Knox
    #80 here · #195 nationally +115

Less Popular in Arkansas

  • Dylan
    #98 here · #41 nationally 57
  • Leo
    #75 here · #19 nationally 56
  • Jacob
    #99 here · #43 nationally 56
  • Anthony
    #97 here · #46 nationally 51
  • Julian
    #71 here · #25 nationally 46

Top 100 Baby Names in Arkansas

Most popular names in 2020–2025, ranked by total births

Top 10

RankNameBirthsNational
  • #1Liam167#1
  • #2Hudson147#17
  • #3Oliver143#3
  • #4Elijah138#7
  • #5Noah134#2
  • #6James131#6
  • #7Henry128#5
  • #8William125#9
  • #9Waylon122#56
  • #10Theodore106#4

Names #11–100

  • #11 John
  • #12 Samuel
  • #13 Asher
  • #14 Cooper
  • #15 Benjamin
  • #16 Levi
  • #17 Wyatt
  • #18 Carter
  • #19 Jackson
  • #20 Silas
  • #21 Weston
  • #22 Maverick
  • #23 Stetson
  • #24 Ezra
  • #25 Mateo
  • #26 Walker
  • #27 Jack
  • #28 Lucas
  • #29 Brooks
  • #30 Beau
  • #31 Everett
  • #32 Grayson
  • #33 Elias
  • #34 Michael
  • #35 Owen
  • #36 Thomas
  • #37 Miles
  • #38 Sebastian
  • #39 Josiah
  • #40 Charles
  • #41 Rowan
  • #42 River
  • #43 Daniel
  • #44 David
  • #45 Luke
  • #46 Bennett
  • #47 Sawyer
  • #48 Luca
  • #49 Mason
  • #50 Gabriel
  • #51 Nolan
  • #52 Atlas
  • #53 Santiago
  • #54 Archer
  • #55 Ethan
  • #56 Aiden
  • #57 Isaiah
  • #58 Lincoln
  • #59 Matthew
  • #60 Christopher
  • #61 Wesley
  • #62 Braxton
  • #63 Parker
  • #64 Rhett
  • #65 Ezekiel
  • #66 Joshua
  • #67 Joseph
  • #68 Jasper
  • #69 Colter
  • #70 Isaac
  • #71 Julian
  • #72 Roman
  • #73 Alexander
  • #74 Andrew
  • #75 Leo
  • #76 Nathan
  • #77 Beckett
  • #78 Myles
  • #79 Kingston
  • #80 Knox
  • #81 Carson
  • #82 Cohen
  • #83 August
  • #84 Barrett
  • #85 Robert
  • #86 Ryder
  • #87 Bentley
  • #88 Caleb
  • #89 Graham
  • #90 Luka
  • #91 Ryker
  • #92 Angel
  • #93 Arthur
  • #94 Axel
  • #95 Eli
  • #96 Greyson
  • #97 Anthony
  • #98 Dylan
  • #99 Jacob
  • #100 Jose

Explore Neighboring States

See how naming trends differ in nearby states